The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) had earlier suggested that the existing pen and paper based exams should be replaced by online mode.

Sunday December 23, 2018 12:07 PM, ummid.com News Network

New Delhi: The NITI Aayog has suggested that the upper age limit for entry into the civil services be brought down to 27 years from the present 30 years for general category candidates in a phased manner by 2022-23.

In the ‘Strategy for New India @75’ document released on Wednesday, the government think-tank also pitched for an integrated exam for all civil services, according to PTI.

“The upper age limit for the civil services should be brought down to 27 years for the general category in a phased manner by 2022-23,” the document said.

The NITI Aayog also said the existing 60-plus separate civil services at the central and state level need to be reduced through rationalisation and harmonisation of services.

“Recruits should be placed in a central talent pool, which would then allocate candidates by matching their competencies and the job description of the post,” it said.

“Concomitantly, the number of exams for civil services should ideally be brought down to one with all-India ranking. States may also be encouraged to use this pool for recruitments,” the document added.

The document also said the service conditions for employees of autonomous bodies need to be regulated and harmonised. It noted that reforms in civil services are a continuous process and several initiatives have been taken in recent years by the present government.

The civil services examination is conducted annually by the UPSC in three stages — preliminary, main and interview — to select officers for Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) among others. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) had earlier suggested that the existing pen and paper based exams should be replaced by online mode.